Tripod and tripod clamp



G. A. IVIVYGHELLp TRIFOD AND TRIPODILCLAMP.- APPLICATION FILED sEPT^.21. |920.

G. A. MITCHELL.

TRIPOD AND TRIPOD CLAMP. APPL|cAT|0N-r|LED sEPT.21.1920.

1,426,088. Patented Aug. 15, 19252'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

Y ecaM MMP/7% igiaaose.

f the object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in devices of thisv character to render them simple, and easily, r

iisira sraras TRIPOD AND TRIPOD CLAMP.;

"Tol MITCHELL" CALIFORNIA.

Appiieation sied september 21, i920. `sei-iai No. 411,826.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residingin Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have inventednew and useful Improvements in kTripods Clamps, of which the `following is a specification.

This invention relates to tripodsand like devices and to clamps for such devices,.and

conveniently, and quickly adjustable.

Broadly speaking, one phase of the v invention has to do with adjusting means particularly, although not specifically, adapted for use in tripods and other like folding and adjustable devices. For purpose of illustration, and to facilitate in making clear the nature of the invention in a simplev and readily understandable manner l will herein refer to, and describe the invention in connection with, a typicalrform of tripod, such as is commonly used to carry cameras, surveying instruments, etc., it being understood, however, that such disclosure is not to act in any way as a limitation lof the scope of the invention.

Ordinary tripods, such as are at present commonly used tojcarry cameras of various.

kinds, surveying instruments, etc., are constructed with light adjustable and collapsible legs. To provide light strong and rigid devices the legs are each formed of two upwardly diverging sides, and in order.

that they may be adjustable and collapsible, the legs are constructed in sections adapted to adjustably telescope or overlap one'over the other. Means are generally provided in' an inconvenient manner in` connection with sides of'the legs for adjusting and clamping, or otherwise securing, the sections ofv the legs in the proper or desired relative positions. vTo operate tripods of this general character, the operator must perform a comparatively large number 'of distinct operations both insetting up the tripod and in adjusting'itfafter it has been set up. Further, the operations necessary on the part of the operator require a considerable amount of time not only because of their number but due to the inconvenience to which the operator is put in carrying thein out.

and Tripod and each A primary object of theinvention tol overcome the. above .outlined and othersimilarobjections common to ordinary tripodsy in a simple, effective, and inexpensive man# locking means in connection witheach of its sides, `which clamping means can be operated simultanea" present invention-a tripod is prov Aaeranr essaies. GEORGE A. MITCHELL, or Los ANGELES, `CALIEQRNIA,'Assiettes i CAMERA co., or Los ANeELEscALIEoRNIA, A ConroaArIoNoF Specification of letters Patent, Y" PggggltedbAug-q 15,

Each leg is proi ously by vonejliandand by a single operay tion onlthe. part of the operator. Further, kthe clamping or locking l incansare-so karranged and lpositioned on the sides of the legs that they are inconvenient reach of the operator. These features of ,the invention are particularly noteworthy iii that'they provide a tripod which can be easily, conveniently and quickly manipulated. f

Other "objects and features of the' inven-vv tion and the "meansby which Icarry' out the yarious objects and features lof the in-v vention will be bestunderstood fromlthe following' detailed description of typical embodiments ofthe invention throughout which reference is had to the accompanying. drawings inwhich* l f v ig. l is a perspective view of a tripod constructed in accordance with the'present invention; Fig. "2 is' an enlargedviewof a portion vof one of the legs of the tripod being a'view taken as indicated on line 2 2 on Fig.v l; and havingsome parts" shown-in section to show their construction; yFig. 3 is a detailed sectional'view takenas-iiidi`-v cated'by'line 3 3 on Fig.-2; Fig. 4e is view taken as indicated by line fle- 1l on"y Figi 2; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2A of `another form of the invention; 'and Fig. 6 'is a sectional view l taken as indicated by line 6-.-6 on Fig 5. i

rlhroughout thev drawings numeralv 10 designates the head'of the tripod which is cariied by the legs 11. Each legvll is proi vided with a foot l2 from which the two sides of the leg extend-divergingly{topoints 13 where theyjpivotally connect tothe head 10. Each side of each legy 11 comprisesan upper section 14 pivotally connected at i3" i ico *24, into the socket 23 in plate 20a.

engage. the upper 'section 1&1.

ings. The upper and lower sections 14 `and 1501 the sides are varranged and constructed to slide together or overlap so that the legs can be adjusted to various lengt-hs and so that the legs can be telescoped or collapsed when desired. In the particular form of construction shown in the drawings the adjacent faces 16, of the upper section 14 of each side, are grooved or \/-shaped to receive the more or less pointed outer itaces 17 of the lower sections 15, in the manner clearly shown in Fig 3 of the drawings. A vband 18 is carried at the lower end ot' each upper section 111 to extend around and form a guide 'orthe lower section 15 which co-operates with the upper section. Bands 19, similar in purpose to the bands 18 are carried directlybpposite each other at the upper ends of the lower sections 15 in the manner clearly shown throughout the drawings.`

V.Each band 19 is a rsingle strip ot metal shaped to entend around the sections 1s. and 15 and to be in engagement with the outer part oit section 141 and the side parts of section 15. The end portions oi the band are spaced from the inner Vtace ot the lower section 15, and are overlapped at the inner face ot the lower section 15, and are spaced apart in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 3, A block or n'ut member 2O is carried between the overlapping end portions ot the band 19 and a bracket 2O is arranged between the innermost end. portion of the band 19 and the inner 'face ot the lower section 15. A bracket or plate 29 is secured to the inner tace ot the lower section 15 by means of suitable screws 21 and is formed with a horizontally disposed boss 22 in which there is a socket 23. A. screw member is screw-threadedly carried in the nut member 2O so that its end portions 2 5 is carried in the socket 23 in plate 520m. A hand wheel 26 is carried on the portion ot the screw member 2l, which entends from the band 19 and extends therefrom toward y the sideo't the andover the portionsv ot the band 19 which are spaced from the ser tions of the leg. The hand wheel provides means by which the screw member may be operated or rotated. vlith the construction just described the band 19 is held in place and against displacement by the extensionvot the end portion 25 of the screw This construction is noteworthy because o'l its simplicity and also because it allows the band 19 to freely and properly seat on, or lt will be readily understood how rotation ot the hand wheelv26 in one direction will cause movement of the plate 20a away from. the overlapping portions ot the band 19 and thereb'7 c ause the upper and lower sections 14 and 15 to be clamped together, while rotationof Leashes overlapping end portions, the nut member,

the plate 20, and the screw member 24, are at the inner tace oit the lower section 15 causes hand wheel 2G to be between the sides ot' the leg. ln practice the two lower sections 15 ot each leg are made the same length f causing the clamping mechanisms to be directly opposite each other, and the screw members 2l and various parts of the clamp` ing means are concentric and so proportioned that'the two hand wheels 26 of the adjusting mechanism are lcomparatively close together. The two screw members 24- and the two hand wheels 2G ot the two clampingmechanisms ot a leg are proportioned and arranged so that they will not engage.1 or inter'lfcre with each other but will allow 'tree adjustment et the sections 1.4i and 15. ln practice the screw members and hand wheels are spaced a` maximum distance apart when the leg is completely telescopedor collapsed and are practically together, or at a minimum distance apart, wnen the leg is in its completely entended position. The variations in the distance between the screw members, or hard wheels, is :lue to the up- `ward divergence or' the sides otl the leg. To

hold the screw members concentric relative to each other pin G0 is carried in a bore 61 in one ot the screw members to slidablv extend into bore Gn1 in the other screw member as clearly shown in Fig. i), ot the dra-wings. l

ln ifractiee the construction and arrangement o't the various parts is such that at no time do the hand wheels 26 become spaced apart a sufiicient amount to malte' it impossible, or iu act, inconvenient, Jfor an operator to simultaneously grip and turn both ot them with one hand. This is particularly noteworthy and important in that it provides means -,tor completely clamping the leg, or completely releasingl the leg, ac-4 tuatable by a single operation. lt may be here stated that the threads on the two screw-threaded membersll are 'termed oppositely so that rotation ot the two hand wheels in the same direction will cause the same action to take place in eacho'f the clamping` mechanisms. ln other words, the screw-threads on. one oli the screw members 2A-v i s lett handeil while the screw threads on the other member is right handed. Another or fixed distance from the ground., or surface,

on which the tripod is resting and are always as close las possible to the head 10. This is because of their being mounted on the eXtreme upper ends of the lower sections This feature of the invention combined with the feature of being able to simultaneously operate both sides of a leg makes for simple, convenient, and quick operation and thereby makes the invention desirable for practical application and of particular commercial value.

.In the form of the invention shownin Figs. 5 and Gthe screw members 24a, of the clamping means at the sides of the leg, are arranged at right angles to the sides of the legs and are adapted to be operated by, or

from, a single hand wheel 26a. The hand wheel 26a is formed ona member 40 formed with a square socket 41 in whichv is slidablycarried a square rod 42. The member 40 is connected to one of the screw members 24a through a universal joint mechanism 48 while the rod 42 is connected to the other screw member 24a through a universal joint mechanism 49. It will vbe readily understood how the member 40 and bar 41 cooperate to cause both of the screw members 24a to be rotated when the hand wheel 26a is rotated,

and how the rod 42 being slidably carried in the socket 4l allows for variation, in the.

distance between the clamping means, such as is caused by adjusting or varying the- Having set forth only preferred forms of:

the invention I do not wish to limit or restrict myself to the specific details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or that may fall within the scope of the following claims.`

Having described av preferred form of my invention, I claim:

l. In a tripod or the likehaving anadjustable leg formed of adjustable overlapping sections, means for'y clamping lthe sections together, said means comprising a band extending around the sections, a nut member carried by the band to'be spaced from one lof the sections, a plate carried by lsaid section, and a screw member carried inthe nut member to engage the' plate.

2. In a tripod or the like having an adjustable leg formed of adjustable overlap-v ping sections, a band extending around the sections andhaving spaced overlapping end portionsy spaced from the sections, a nut member carried between said end portions, a plate attached to one of the sections and having a socket, and a 'screw carried in the nut and extending into the socket.

l 3. In a tripod, or the like, havin'glan ad# justable leg with two spaced side parts one comprising overlapping sections, means for clamping the sections'of said side parti-together comprising, apart connected with from the sections toward the other side part, a screw member carried by said -projecting portion vto have afpart projecting therefromtoward said other side part and having la part adapted to cause clamping of the sections upon rotationy of said screw the sections and having a portion projecting member, and a lhand wheel mounted on said j projecting part of the screw lmember, the hand wheel having a projecting" rim part overhanging said projecting portion and forming a comparatively large part to` be gripped by` an operator. '4. In a tripod or the like'having an adjustable legv with two spacedside parts each, formed of overlapping sections, independent meansin connection with each side part for holding the sections thereof against relative movement, andA independently operable operating members for eachof "said means ly` ing between the kside'parts and being ar ranged so that they can be simultaneously gripped and operated by one hand.

5. In a tripod or the like lhaving anad-A justable leg with. twospaced sideparts formed of overlapping sections, a `member In connection with each side part connecting the sections thereof, a screw carried by each of said members between theside parts and adapted to be actuated to clampthe sections of the side parts together, and independ ently operable hand wheels carriedy on the screws and arranged sothat they can be sie lmultaneously gripped and operated. i

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of August, 1920. n ,Y

, GEORGE A. MIToIIELL. 'i

l/Vitness: l v v v .VIRGINIA BERINGIIR. 

